Chicago HIV Diagnoses Fall 38% in Preliminary 2025 Data

Preliminary Chicago HIV data points to a reversal after two years of rising diagnoses

CHICAGO, Illinois — New Chicago HIV diagnoses fell sharply in preliminary 2025 figures released Thursday by the Chicago Department of Public Health, marking a potential turnaround after the city recorded an increase in cases between 2022 and 2024.

The department reported 504 new HIV diagnoses so far in 2025, about 38% fewer than the number recorded during the comparable period last year. The figures are provisional and could change before the city issues its final annual data later this year, officials said.

The decline follows a troubling reversal in a longer-term trend. HIV diagnoses in Chicago had fallen over roughly two decades before rising 29% from 2022 through 2024. Public health officials said the latest numbers may reflect continued testing, prevention and treatment efforts by the city, health providers and community organizations.

Dr. Garth Walker, Chicago’s public health commissioner, said the early data indicated progress but cautioned against treating the midyear report as final. “It reflects the ongoing work CDPH does with our community and healthcare partners to get Chicagoans tested, connected to care, and engaged in HIV prevention,” Walker said in a release.

“With health equity as our guiding star, the trends are promising,” Walker added. “The exact numbers may shift between now and December, but this points in a positive direction for what we expect to confirm near the end of the year.”

Racial disparities remain central to Chicago’s HIV response

The preliminary 2025 data showed Black Chicagoans accounted for the largest share of new diagnoses, at about 47%, while Latino residents represented 34%. The racial and ethnic breakdown differs from 2024, when Latino residents made up nearly half of all new diagnoses — the first time that group had represented the largest share of the city’s annual cases.

The report also found that AIDS diagnoses declined by nearly 23% so far this year. A reduction in AIDS diagnoses can indicate that more people are being identified and connected to HIV care before infections advance, though final figures will be needed to assess the year’s overall trend.

Advocates say the numbers do not lessen concerns about the resources available to reach residents who remain underserved, particularly on Chicago’s South and West sides. About three dozen protesters gathered outside a Chicago Board of Health meeting in the Loop on Wednesday, chanting, “These budget cuts have got to go.”

Advocates press city over prevention funding

Kendall Moore of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation said protesters were urging the health department to restore funding for community organizations involved in HIV prevention and care. Moore said funding reductions have affected systems serving people who may be at risk of falling out of treatment.

“These are real people that we’re talking about,” Moore said. “These are real systems that have critically adjusted. There are folks who have fallen out of care. And the question remains: Does the city really care about these communities?”

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has sued the health department in Cook County Circuit Court over the city’s administration of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funds. The organization alleges that its funding application was improperly rejected and that the city did not follow rules governing the distribution of the federal program money. The city’s response to those allegations was not included in the data release.

Walker was selected in July to replace former commissioner Dr. Olusimbo Ige, who resigned in May. Moore said advocates had not yet met with Walker and would continue demonstrations while seeking restored support for groups including the South Side Help Center. The next hearing in the funding lawsuit is scheduled for Monday, while CDPH is expected to finalize its 2025 HIV data by December.